.'"' LONDON TERMINAL AERODROME
Monday Evening, February 27, 1922.
UNABATED activity prevails in the erection of new offices.
Grands Express have got the roof on their new waiting-room,
and the Daimler Hire offices are rapidly taking shape. In
the Instone Air Line's premises interior work is being hurried
forward, now that the outside is finished and receiving its
final coat of varnish.
The Bristol 10-seater made its -maiden trip to Paris on
Saturday with five passengers and a heavy load of parcels
and mail. Mr. Olley was the pilot, and, owing to the strong
wind, which reached gale force at times, the journey occupied
3 hours 25 minutes. In spite of this, and the bad " bumps,"
the passengers were very pleased with their journey, and
spoke highly of the comfort of the machine. This machine
is, of course, operated by the Handley Page Transport.
Mr. Cogni informs me that the Handley Page torpedo-
carrier was successfully tested at Cricklewood yesterday, and
further tests have been made today. Mr. Wilcockson, who
piloted this machine, is, I understand, very pleased with it.
Business on the " airways " is becoming quite brisk, and
Handley Page Transport are getting as much traffic as, at
present, they are able to cope with. They are looking forward
to the time when they will have the four new W.8.b's., with
Rolls-Royce engines, which are now building at Cricklewood.
A Fleet of Vickers " Vulcans "
THE Instone Air Line are, I understand, to have a fleet of
new machines built by Vickers, which are to be known as
the Vickers " Vulcans." These will be of two distinct kinds,
one equipped for goods only, and the other for passengers.
Mr. Didier tells me that the S.N.E.T.A. are opening up
the London-Brussels service again on April 1, and will have
a fleet of half-a-dozen " Goliaths " with Maybach engines.
The " Goliath " is, apparently, appealing to the foreign firms.
With the exception of the Napier-engined Vickers " Vimy,"
the entire fleet of the Grands Express—some twelve in
number—consists of " Goliaths." The Messageries Aeriennes
have also bought some " Goliaths " which are to be fitted
with Renault engines ; and now comes the news that the
Belgians are to run " Goliaths." It is probable that there
will be more " Goliaths " than any other type of 'plane on
the continental " airways " this year.
The Messageries Aeriennes' " Goliath," fitted with the
Aveline stability device, has been making demonstration
flights «.t Croydon again this week. On one occasion repre
sentatives from the Air Ministry went for a flight, and were
much interested and impressed by the steadiness of the
aeroplane when controlled by this " mechanical brain."
Still talking of " Goliaths," the Grands Express have now
named their machines. " Londres," " Paris " and " Verdun "
have all been seen at Croydon this week.
An "Air Special's " Struggle with the Wind
A SPECIAL F.2 left Amsterdam for Croydon on Saturday
with Mr. Duke as pilot. There was a very strong head-wind.
In fact, at the height the monoplane was flying, it would be
somewhere in the region of 50 miles-an-hour, and Mr. Duke
was four hours flying from Amsterdam to Lympne—where
he was forced to stay the night owing to darkness.
He left for Croydon on Sunday morning, and again had a
stiff head-wind, taking 50 minutes to do the journey.
After arriving at Croydon, and while " taxying " the mono
plane round to the sheds, a sudden gust of wind caught the
machine and tipped it over on its nose, the wing being rather
badly damaged.
The new weather display board is now in full working order,
and is a distinct improvement on the old idea, the reports
being easy to read, while they give a better idea of the
general weather.
Further details of the unfortunate ending to Mr. Alan J.
Cobham's air-taxi tour of Europe and northern Africa are
now to hand. After flying for nearly 7,000 miles on the
same D.H.9, and with the same " Puma " engine—acting
as his own mechanic and landing in all sorts of unknown
places—Mr. Cobham was approaching Venice at a low altitude
in foggy weather, and was actually in sight of the aerodrome,
with which he was familiar, when a dense fog-bank, accom
panied by drizzle and rain, dropped suddenly on the machine
and blotted everything out. About 100 yards ahead was a
stone embankment, while high trees surrounded the aero
drome. There were ships and buoys in the harbour, and
high piles out at sea, but, just as the fog dropped, Mr. Cobham
noticed that the sea was clear for a few hundred yards on
his right. Turning to the right, and seeing nothing at all,
Mr. Cobham flattened out and "felt his way " down on to
the water, making a successful " landing." All the baggage
was lifted on to the top plane, and the passenger and pilot
then clambered up beside it, and quietly waited for a boat
to take them off.
To be Married
A marriage has been' arranged, and will shortly take place,
between Flying Officer DENYS A. Cox, R.A.F., seventh son
of the Rev. W. E. Cox and Mrs. Cox, of Bishopsteignton, and
JANE, elder daughter of the late Major JOHN HALL BROWN,
of Ceylon, and Mrs. Hall Brown, of Bishopsteignton.
The engagement is announced in Shanghai of Capt. REGI
NALD E. GREENSMITH, R.A.F., son of Mr. George Greensmith
and Mrs. Greensmith, of 155, Sloane Street, S.W. 1, and
LUCY, youngest daughter of Mr. THOMAS CRAVEN and Mrs.
CRAVEN, of Shanghai.
The engagement is announced of V. TOPPING, M.SC,
Lieut. R.A.F., of Toronto, and AGNES HELEN, eldest daughter
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Death of Levavasseur
IT is with sincere regret that we have to announce this
week the death, on February 23, of Monsieur Levavasseur
at the age of 58, after a brief illness. M. Levavasseur was
interested in aviation from the earliest days, and it was his
designing genius which created the beautiful Antoinette
monoplane with Antoinette engine on which the late
M. Latham won fame in and after 1907. Recently M. Le
vavasseur came prominently before the public in connection
with his variable area aeroplane, which was acquired by
the French Government. It is stated that, like so many
of the late ARTHUR F. WHITE and Mrs. WHITE, Cookham
Dene, Chislehurst.
Killed
FREDERICK JOHN ORTWEILER, M.C., B.A., who died at
Madrid on February 14 as the result of a flying accident,
aged 23, was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. S. ORTWEILER,
13, Cavendish Road, Brondesbury. Date of interment will
be announced later.
Item
Air Vice-Marshal Sir E. L. ELLINGTON left London on
February 23 for Marseilles, there to join the S.S. Kaisar-i-
Hind for Port Said.
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pioneers, M. Levavasseur died a poor man, having spent
his whole fortune on experiments in connection with
flying.
Honours
IN the London Gazette of February 21, the Air Ministry
announces that H.M. the King has granted unrestricted
permission for the wearing of the undermentioned decoration
conferred by the King of Italy on the following officer for
valuable service in connection with the War :—
The Order of the Crown (Officer) :—Maj. G. de Lacy
Wooldridge, O.B.E.